After the Android 8.0 Oreo update, the Samsung keyboard has undergone a major overhaul in terms of appearance and functionality.
Contents1. Customize Toolbar2. Disable toolbar3. Add Emoji shortcut button4. Access clipboard and lock items5. Change keyboard size6. Change keyboard layout7. Change keyboard color8. Change keyboard theme9. Dictate text with the Bixby10 button. Text shortcuts11. Delete words12. Enable gestures13. Change quick access symbolsGo ahead!
The updated keyboard now offers good competition to third-party keyboard apps. It includes all the important stuff like clipboard, themes, GIFs and more.
Do you know all the new features? Do not worry. In this article, you will find the top 13 Samsung keyboard tips and tricks regarding its features.
Let's drive.
One of the features introduced last year is the toolbar. If you've ever used the SwiftKey keyboard, you probably know this.
The toolbar contains shortcuts for emojis, GIFs, clipboard, voice input, one-handed mode, and settings. You can rearrange them according to your preferences. Tap the small down arrow icon in the top right corner of the keyboard. Then rearrange the icons.
As you type, shortcuts are hidden and suggestions are displayed in the same bar. But if you want to switch to toolbar mode, just tap the toolbar icon in the upper left corner.
If you don't like the toolbar and want a little more screen real estate, you can just turn it off.
To do this, follow these steps:
Step 1: Tap the Settings icon in the toolbar and select Keyboard layout and feedback.
Step 2: On the next screen, turn off the toggle for the keyboard toolbar.
If you're an emoji lover and want them at your fingertips, you must have noticed that the new keyboard doesn't have an emoji button at the bottom. Sure, there's the emoji shortcut in the toolbar, but having it on the keyboard gives quicker access while typing.
So how to get it back? Well, you have to get rid of the toolbar to bring back the emoji shortcut. Yes, it's the only way.
Once you disable the toolbar as shown above, all shortcuts will move to the comma key. Hold the comma key to access it. Tap the emoji shortcut to make it the main shortcut icon.
As I always say, very few keyboard apps come with a native clipboard. Fortunately, the Samsung keyboard is one of them. You can access the clipboard directly from the toolbar.
Interestingly, the keyboard also saves images along with the text. And if you don't want clipboard items to disappear, you can lock them.
To do this, open the clipboard from the toolbar, then hold the clipboard item you want to lock. From the context menu, select Lock to Clipboard.
Previously, you could not change the default size of the Samsung keyboard. People with big fingers had to switch to big button keyboards. Luckily, it's possible now that you get a native setting.
To change the keyboard size, do the following:
Step 1: Tap the settings gear icon in the keyboard toolbar.
Step 2: Select Keyboard Layout and Feedback in Settings. Then tap on Keyboard size and layout.
Step 3 :On the next screen, use the blue border to resize the keyboard.
Pro tip: Under the same setting, you can hide the row of number keys on your keyboard. And if you wish, you can activate the simultaneous display of symbols or characters with the letters. Once activated, long press the key to insert symbols. Apart from changing the size of the keyboard, you can also change its layout from QWERTY mode to T9 mode, also known as 3×4 keyboard. It is a kind of hidden feature in Samsung keyboard.
To switch between layouts, do the following:
Step 1: Access the Samsung keyboard settings by tapping the Settings icon. Then go to Languages and Types.
Step 2: On the Languages &Types screen, tap the language for which you want to change the mode. You will get the layout option. Choose your preferred mode.
If the keyboard's default white becomes an eyesore, you can choose a different color. Samsung offers something of a night mode for its keyboard along with other high-contrast colors. Want to try them?
Here are the steps:
Step 1: Open Samsung Keyboard Settings and go to Keyboard Layout &Feedback.
Step 2: Tap the High Contrast Keyboard setting. On the next screen, first activate the mode and then select the color scheme from the four available choices.
Note: Be sure to tap the setting name and not the toggle.
Even if you explore all the Samsung keyboard settings, you will not find the option to change its theme. How to do that?
Well, you need to change your device theme from Theme app. Only after that the keyboard theme will also change automatically.
Most Samsung phones now have a dedicated button for the Bixby assistant. Although many dislike it and want to get rid of it, you can use it to dictate text. Of course, you can also use Google voice typing on the keyboard. But let's say you're driving, you'll need to search for that key first and that's why using the Bixby button comes in handy.
To use it, all you have to do is open an app where you want to write the text, keep the Samsung keyboard open, and press the Bixby button. Then say the Dictate command followed by your text. Boom! The text will be typed.
Even though most keyboards support text shortcuts, the good thing here is that the Samsung keyboard automatically replaces the expanded shape instead of just showing it in the suggestion bar.
To create a shortcut, go to Keyboard Settings> Smart Typing> Text Shortcuts. Under Text Shortcuts, tap the Add button. Then enter your shorthand phrase followed by its expanded phrase.
To provide better next word suggestions, Samsung continues to learn new words. Sometimes recorded words are not spelled correctly. So you might get suggestions with wrong spellings. Therefore, it is better to delete these words.
Whenever you see a word with incorrect spelling in the suggestion bar, long press the word and tap OK on the pop-up window to remove it.
The Samsung keyboard supports two types of gestures:Swipe to type and Cursor control. You can only use one at a time. In the first, you can enter text by sliding your finger over the letters. The second gesture lets you move the cursor by sliding your finger across the keyboard.
To enable either, go to Samsung keyboard settings> Smart typing> Keyboard swipe controls.
If you hold down the full stop key on your Samsung keyboard, you will find ten symbols there. This is a good way to quickly add symbols. But not everyone wants the same symbols. With that in mind, Samsung allows you to customize these symbols.
To change the symbols, go to Samsung Keyboard Settings> Keyboard Layout &Feedback> Custom Symbols.
Now that you know the coolest Samsung keyboard tips and tricks, it's time to make the most of them. After following these tips and using the keyboard extensively, you will discover the features you need in a keyboard. Only then would it be wise to try another third-party keyboard to suit your needs.
